This place changes after a woman becomes a mother

Many women will experience some physical changes after giving birth, not only in their figure, but also in their internal organs and even their brains. Do you know what changes occur in a woman's brain after she becomes a mother? Do you know the general changes in a mother's body after giving birth?

What happens to a woman's brain after she becomes a mother?

The artist Sarah Walker once told me that becoming a mother is like discovering a completely unfamiliar room in your normal house. What I've always loved about Sarah's quote is its accuracy, which is the same thing most people say about life with a new baby: Everything changes.

Many things are undoubtedly changing

Some of the most obvious changes for new mothers are also very personal: emotional changes. It turns out that most of these changes are neural.

Several neurologists have told me that there is a close connection between a woman's pregnancy and the structure of her brain, even before she gives birth.

Scientists have observed behavioral changes in new mothers for centuries, but have only recently discovered links between their behavior and the prefrontal cortex, midbrain, parietal lobe, and other brain regions.

Their gray matter becomes more concentrated

Brain areas that control empathy, anxiety, and social interaction become more active. At the most basic level, these changes, caused by the massive release of hormones during pregnancy and the postpartum period, help new mothers increase their attention to their newborns.

In other words, maternal feelings, including unusually intense love, fierce protectiveness, and constant worry, are all marked by brain reactions.

Many scientists believe that studying the maternal brain is also key to understanding why so many new mothers experience severe anxiety and depression. About one in six women suffer from postpartum depression, and many more display compulsive behaviors such as frequent hand washing and constantly checking to see if the baby is breathing.

Researchers believe this phenomenon is related to the behavior of new mothers

The enlargement of the amygdala makes women highly sensitive to the needs of their newborns. At the same time, various hormones find more receptors in the enlarged amygdala, which helps to establish a positive feedback loop that drives maternal behavior.